NYC Dems seek to allow illegal immigrants to stay in city shelters indefinitely

According to filings, Councilwoman Shahana Hanif plans to reintroduce legislation that would end the "length of shelter stay limitation" on Feb. 28. The item is scheduled to be brought up in a public hearing on Mar. 1.

Hanif told the New York Post, "Shelter evictions are a human-rights abuse that both the city and state Legislatures need to be taking on, given our shared oversight of shelter functions." She added, "Our offices will be collaborating closely as we work to advance our bills in City Hall and the Capitol.”

The legislation goes against Democrat Mayor Eric Adams's July 2023 mandate that only allowed illegal immigrants to stay in city-run shelters for 60 days. He later lowered the length of stay for single adults to just 30 days before they are required to reapply.

Critics of the bill say that check-ins are needed to ensure illegal immigrants are doing what is necessary to make a living on their own.

Councilwoman Joann Ariola (R-Queens) told the outlet, "The 30- and 60-day check-ins exist for a reason." She noted, "They provide opportunities for city agencies to make contact with migrants in the shelter system, and ensure that they’re on a path towards living on their own."

"Removing these crucial check-ins will only create a culture of dependency, in which migrants remain reliant on the government and never leave the city’s care,” Ariola continued.

"This whole thing is really little more than a PR stunt by my colleagues on the radical left. They are trying to legislate the management of city agencies. This is something that can’t be legislated, and they know that.”

Mayor Adams has been a vocal critic of the Biden administration's lack of assistance for sanctuary cities that are bearing the brunt of the crisis at the southern border. Earlier this week he declared that there is no more room in New York City.

"Our hearts are endless, but our resources are not," Adams said during an interview with FOX5 NY's Rosanna Scotto for the Fox Nation special, The Sanctuary Trap.

"It's not like New York is not saying we are not a city of immigrants. We are. We have a rich history of immigrants, but we can't take the global problem and [have] it become our problem. That is unfair to New Yorkers, and is unfair to migrants."